Social Impact

Social Impact Work Highlights

Championing and advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Impact Investing

Eliminating Inter-generation poverty by supporting Education and STEM programs

Impact Investor and Partner to MIT Solve

As an advisor to MIT SOLVE®, Plasma Ventures collaborates with SOLVE® to work on a number of social impact themes ranging from sustainability, circular economies, resilient eco-systems to social justice and public safety.

MIT SOLVE®, SOLVER®, and SOLVEATHON® are registered trademarks and service marks of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Read About Our Latest Collaboration →

Social Impact Focus Areas for Plasma Ventures

Resilient Ecosystems Challenge

How can communities sustainably protect, manage, and restore their local ecosystems? How can we develop and fund innovative solutions for better stewardship and management of natural resources? How can we move from mitigation to adaptation?

Circular Economies

How can people create and consume goods that are renewable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable? How can we develop solutions that improve end to end supply chain visibility to support reduce-reuse-recycle? How do we create circularity at scale including in how we build our communities and cities?

Sustainable Food Systems and FoodTech

How can we produce and consume low-carbon, resilient, and nutritious food? Finding innovative solutions to improve access to food, reduce inequities, eliminate hunger? How do we develop sustainable solutions to feed populations globally in light of adverse climate change impact?

Sustainable Agriculture and AgTech

How can we broaden adoption of restorative regenerative agricultural techniques and technologies? How can we build holistic solutions for improved land management and soil conservation? How can we incorporate next generation technology with indigenous technologies in the practice of agriculture?

Public Safety for All

How can we decrease unnecessary and adverse law enforcement encounters in order to promote community health and well-being in the US? How can communities of color use technology to advance racial equity and access economic opportunity, health, and safety?

Health Security and Pandemics

How can communities around the world prepare for, detect, and respond to emerging pandemics and health security threats? How can we make healthcare more affordable and more effective? What is the future of telemedicine, disease surveillance, robotics, AI/ML in healthcare?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Burhan Jaffer is a Fellow (Class 1) of The Herndon Directors Institute which was borne out of the need for institutional change that would broaden the participation of minorities and women as active members of boards of directors in both commercial and non-profit settings. The Herndon Directors Institute is a program of The Herndon Foundation, NASDAQ, and a partnership with America’s leading corporations and organizations proactively aligned to expand minority board member participation.

Education and STEM

Serving to improve access to education for communities of color as a way of addressing inter-generational poverty by partnering with Mission Society and Bottomline

Mission Society (founded in 1812) facilitates academic enrichment, college access, and workforce development programs in Harlem and at 12 public school programs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Since our founding, we have provided life-changing opportunities to over 6.5 million New Yorkers and continue to reach approximately 5,500 children and parents each year.

Bottom Line (founded in 1997) has addressed the low college graduation rates of first-generation students from low-income background and serves nearly 9000 students.

How Plasma Ventures Can Help Your Social Impact Venture or Start-Up

Capital

Seed investments into early-stage start-ups

Advise the start-ups regarding their funding needs / capital raises

Resources

Product Innovation and Product Management training including formal accreditation (offered through Spark Engine)

Access to technical, domain expertise and SME resources to scale and grow

Network

Leverage Plasma’s network for connections to industry experts, clients, organizations and institutions

Access to curated eco-system of VC’s, philanthropic ventures